Transfer apparatus for a packing machine

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, for a packing machine, for feeding of work pieces, as objects to be wrapped comprising working stations rotating along a closed, curved path, which follow each other at predetermined distances, and control members engaging the working stations during the turning movement of the latter, so that at each of the stations for each cycle at least one wrapping operation is performed by successive performance of a plurality of partial operations. A driven, endless, non-positive and flexible feeding member has at least one driver for an object to be fed thereto and thereaway, respectively, and is guided by deviation- and guide-means such, that it passes within the range of the moving path of the wrapping stations, a curved length adjusted to the run of the path. The peripheral speeds of the feeding member and of the working stations are adjusted toward each other such, that within the range of a transfer- and receiving-station the relative movement between driver and the working station disposed opposite thereto is at least about zero.

United States Patent Revaz [54] TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR A PACKING MACHINE [72] Inventor: Leon Revaz, Bienne, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Firma Otto Hansel GmbH,

nover, Germany 22 Filed: Feb. 10,1970

21 Appl.No.: 10,249

Han-

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 7, 1969 Switzerland ..'.....1875/69 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/191 1 Northrup ..53/227 X 8/1955 Schubert ..53/234 X 3,253,739 5/1966 Martin ..198/l03 X 3,545,172 12/1970 Osterdahl ..53/252 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 809,862 3/ 1959 Great Britain ..5 3/225 [451 Sept. 5, 1972 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney-Emest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus, for a packing machine, for feeding of work pieces, as objects to be wrapped comprising working stations rotating along a closed, curved path, which follow each other at predetermined distances, and control members engaging the working stations during the turning movement of the latter, so that at each of the stations for each cycle at least one wrapping operation is performed by successive performance of a plurality of partial operations. A driven, endless, non-positive and flexible feeding member has at least one driver for an object to be fed thereto and thereaway, respectively, and is guided by deviationand guide-means such, that it passes within the range of the moving path of the wrapping stations, a curved length adjusted to the run of the path. The peripheral speeds of the feeding member and of the working stations are adjusted toward each other such, that within the range of a transferand receiving-station the relative movement between driver and the working station disposed opposite thereto is at least about zero.

12 Claims, 2Drawing Figures PATENTED SE? 5 \973 sum 2 or 2 TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR A PACKING MACHINE The present invention relates to an apparatus for a packing machine for feeding the reto or therefrom, work pieces, of different types, such as packed or non packed goods, covering material blanks, accessories or the like along working stations running along a closed, curved path, which stations succeed at predetermined distances, which engage during a rotary movement with preferably immovable control members, so that at each working station for each rotation at least one working step, for instance a wrapping operation takes place by successive performance of a plurality of partial operations.

Packing machines with wrapping stations running preferably on a circular path, and controlled by immovable control discs, at which a wrapping process is performed, for instance during the run of a complete cycle, result in a very high working frequency. In addition, such machines are space-saving and comparatively simple in the design.

It is one object of the present invention to provide and apparatus for a machine of the type defined above, which in particular permits the automatic feeding of workpieces of the most different types, as for instance objects to be packed, covering material cuts, accessories or the like to the working stations rotating on a curved path and the precise release of these work pieces to the prevailing stations without interference with the movement thereof. Furthermore, also the possibility should exist to receive and to move away mechanically packed objects without any damage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for a machine of the above defined type which includes a driven, non-positive and flexible driving member, which has at least one driver for for a work piece to be fed to and to be fed away, respective ly, and by guiding through deviating and guide means such, that it passes within the range of a curved length adjusted to the run of this path. In addition the rotating speeds of the driving member and of the wrapping stations are adjusted towards each other such, that within the range of a transfer and receiving station, respectively, the relative movement between the driver and the wrapping station disposed opposite thereof is at least approximately zero.

The present invention includes feature, the application of which in connection with the basic concept has particular advantages. It should be further emphasized that the endless guiding member is equipped with teeth, notches or the like, which engage corresponding notches, prongs or the like, of a driving collar disposed within the range of the periphery of the turning path of the working stations and turning with the latter, whereby an extremely simple and effective drive of the driving member is obtained while maintaining a predetermined phase relation between the latter and the working stations.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view, simplified in different manners, of a machine equipped with a feeding device for packing of objects as sugar cubes; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a packing machine in which the feeding principle according to the present invention is applied for the feeding of objects as well as for the feeding of wrapping blanks.

Referring now to the drawings, in particular to FIG. 1, four wrappingor packing-stations are provided, three of which can be recognized in the drawings, namely the stations A, B and C. The stations are equipped in conventional manner with a folding shaft 1, movable folder 2, 3 and 4 and ejector 5. These packing stations sit on a vertical carrier rotatable about its longitudinal axis, the so-called rotor, not shown in the drawing for a better and clearer showing, which rotor has a mechanical axis 6. It is to be understood that guides are provided on the rotor for the movable folders. The folders 2-4 and ejector 5 stand in addition under the influence of springs (not shown), which have the tendency to maintain these members in a resting position. By this arrangement the rear ends of these folders and of the ejector, respectively, engage free rotatable sitting rollers 7, 8, 9 and 10 against immovable control discs 11, l2, l3 and 14. The control cams of the discs 11 14 are designed such, that the movable folders 2 4 and the ejector 5 perform during a complete rotation of the rotor a complete folding operation.

To each wrapping station belongs furthermore a lower ram 16 and an upper ram 17. These rams are mounted for longitudinal displacement in vertical guides of the motor housing. In order to force now these rams l6 and 17 upwardly and downwardly, at the corresponding ends are provided freely rotatable rollers 18 and 19, which during rotation of the rotor roll up on cam-like control faces 20 and 21 on immovable hollow cylinders 22 and 23. Spring means provide, that the rollers 18 and 19 are continuously engaging the control faces 20 and 21. By this arrangement it is made possible that a lower stamp 25 and an upper stamp 26, cooperating with the former, grip an object 27, pull the same through the folding shaft 1 and releasing the latter upon termination of the wrapping operation to a removing device. In case of the wrapping station A an object 27 has just been moved onto the lower ram 25. In order that the object to be wrapped does not fall off the lower ram 25, as long as the upper ram 26 has not been lowered yet (which can take place only after feeding thereto of the wrapping blank), a disc 28 having four driver cams 29 and turning with the rotor is provided. In addition, the moved object 27 can be guided in a circular-shaped guide path as long as it is gripped by the rams 25 and 26. This takes place in the illustrated position in station B, to which a wrapping blank 30 has just been fed in a manner to be described below. In the wrapping station C an object jointly with the wrapping blank has passed the folding shaft 1, and the movable folders 2 4 have terminated already substantially the folding operation. The wrapped objects 31 are released later to a feeding path 32, on which it can be further transported in the direction of the arrow under the effect a feeding vibrator. The feeding path, serving for feeding of the still non-wrapped objects 27, is differently designed in the embodiment shown by example. It comprises substantially a continuously or set-off driven conveyor band 33.

The four wrapping stations run also with constant rotary speed and, in particular on a circular path. Due to the described control members the stations are in a predetermined timely moment in different working phases. The working capacity of each machine is high due to the continuous working of the plurality of packing stations.

The particular difficult problem of the feeding of the wrapping blanks 30 to the stations moved along a curved path and the transmission of the blanks to the wrapping stations without any movement between the objects 27 and the wrapping blanks 39 is particularly clearly solved by the apparatus described below in the shown machine.

At first a band 37 of the wrapping materials removed from a storage roller 36 by means of driven rollers 38 and by means of a marking device, comprising of a rotating marking knife 39 and a grooved counter roller 40, is precut. Pairs of rollers 41 and 42 feed the wrapping material with a comparitively slow speed, while a pair of rollers 43, rotating with greater speed, tears off always a pre-rnarked wrapping cut 30 and feeds the same with an increased speed in a linear direction to a pair of rollers 44.

By means of three deviating rollers 47, freely rotating about a vertical axis 47, there runs an endless flexible feeding member in the form of a tooth belt 45, the teeth 46 of which are provided thereon. Inside of the belt are, for example, embedded longitudinally running steel wires or the like. By all means the belt must be run positive that means it can not be stretched during the operation to a disturbing measure. The use of a tooth belt has specific advantages relative to quietness of operation and maintenance. In certain cases one will use another feeding member instead of such a belt, as a chain or a metallic perforated band.

The tooth belt 45 carries three driver tongues 48, the control rollers 49 of which engage during each cycle at first the guide curve of an immovable control rail 50 and later against the guide curve of a likewise immovable, bent control rail 51. By the running up of the rollers 49 on these control rails an opening of the particular driver tongue always occurs is contrary to the effect of a spring. The conditions are arranged such, that each tongue 48 during first opening receives a wrapping blank 30 and releases during the second opening this blank onto a wrapping station.

In order that the once set phase ratio between the driver tongues 48 and the wrapping stations is maintained, the drive of the driving member is coupled absolutely rigid and is forcibly reset with that of the stations, and in view of the compliance with the above stated requirement, in order to transmit the fed blank without relative movement to a rotating wrapping station, an annular driver collar 52, rigidly connected with the rotor housing, is provided with driver prongs 53 provided on the outside in equal distances from each other. The driver collar 52 is concentrically disposed to the axis of the rotor. The outer surface of the tooth belt 45 engages the outer surface of the driver collar 52 and the teeth 46 enter the prongs 53. Due to the circumstance that the center of the curvature of the belt 45 coincides over a certain range with the rotating axis of the moved stations, (one could speak here about a negative curvature of the belt), it is possible to place the wrapping cut 30 without danger of damage exactly and safely over the object to be packed. The angular speed from the object 27 and tongue 48 is the same over the range in which the transfer of the blanks takes place. Of course, the tongues 48 are divided along the belt 45 such, that always automatically a tongue is disposed opposite a moved wrapping station as long as the tongue carrying belt member engages the driver collar.

With reference to FIG. 2, the feeding and transfer of chocolate bars and wrapping blanks, to a machine with a plurality of stations disposed equally in a circular arrangement for packing of chocolate bars with two blanks each is described.

The wrapping stations rotating in the direction of the arrows are indicated by A, B, C and D. These stations are equipped with movable folders which are known per se, which in turn are controlled by immovable cam discs, so that for eachrotation in each station a complete packing process takes place.

For the feeding of unpacked chocolate bars and the release thereof to the wrapping stations at first transportation and feeding device is provided in the immediate vicinity of the periphery of the rotor of the machine. This device comprises particularly a tooth belt 61 equipped with drivers 63, which tooth belt 61 runs over deviating rollers 64 and the teeth of which engage in recesses 66 of a driving collar rotating with the rotor of the machine and disposed concentrically thereto. The drivers 63 slide a chocolate bar 60 each in the direction of the arrow over a feeding table 67 to a wrapping station, where the bar is gripped in an exactly predetermined position and without interruption of the movement. Here also is a retaining of the synchronism between the drivers 63 and the wrapping stations A, B, C and D secured due to the slip-free drive of the tooth belt 61 by the driving collar 65.

There serves for the feeding in a correct position of two wrapping blanks 70 and 71, each respectively, a particular device, comprising a tooth belt 72 endlessly guided by rollers 75, which tooth belt 72 carries schematically indicated double tongues 74 and is equipped with teeth on its outer side in equal distances spaced from one another. These teeth engage in corresponding recesses 77 of a driving collar 76 rotating with the rotor. This feeding belt 72 runs forcibly a circularly shaped path, the curvature center of which coincides with the geometrical rotating axis of the rotor, covering the wrapping stations and the holding and carrying members thereof. For the operation of the tongues 74 one can also use in the present embodiment immovable control rails or the like. These driver tongues are designed as so-called double tongues. They can for instance have a middle immovable jaw, and two gripping jaws pivotally disposed therebelow and thereabove, whereby these gripping jaws engage the immovable jaw by a spring action, so long as the rigid control rails do not cause an opening of the jaws. In FIG. 2 it is also recognizable, how the blanks 70 are transported by means of pairs of rollers 78, 79, 80 and 81 along a stretched path to the double tongues 74.

Finally, it can also be ascertained from F IG. 2, how the wrapping blanks 71 are fed to the double tongues 74 and are transmitted to the latter. In order to avoid a mutual interference of the movement of the blanks 70 and 71, the latter are transported at first by means of pairs of rollers 82, 83, 84 and 85 in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the blanks 70. Thereafter each blank 71 is received by a tongue 88, operated by an immovable control cam or the like. The driver tongues 88 sit on a belt 86 running over rollers 89, which belt is equipped with teeth 87. Advantageously the drive of a roller 89 is derived from the rotor or from the belt 72, while the remaining rollers 89 are each mounted freely on an axle. A blank which is gripped by a tongue 88 is at first subjected to a direction change, so that it comes to lie below a blank 70. Thereafter, the lower tongue part of a double tongue 74 grips the blank 71, which simultaneously is freed from the tongue 88. The thus loaded double tongue 74 now guides'the two blanks in the described manner to a wrapping station of the machine.

Depending upon the type of the packing to be performed, further feeding devices can still cooperate with the machine, for example, such as for feeding of other packing components, as additions or the like.

In certain cases, the concept of the present invention will also be applied where the problem is to feed away particularly sensitive objects after the performance of the wrapping process with observation of the greatest care from the running rotor. Herein teeth-like means is defined to be teeth, pins, and prongs, or the like.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments are given by example only and not in a limitin g sense.

I claim:

1. An apparatus, for a packing machine for feeding flat wrapping sheets to objects to be wrapped on working stations which rotate along a curved path, comprismg a plurality of working station means for carrying and wrapping objects to be wrapped and being disposed rotating along a curved path and following each other at predetermined distances and control means therefor,

an endless flexible and inexpansible feeding member,

at least one driver means disposed on said feeding member,

a synchronizing means jointly driven with the rotating speed of said working station means and disposed adjacent said curved path of rotation of said working station means, said feeding member curved against said synchronizing means at a common curved portion and having the same radius of curvature thereat, and for jointly driving synchronously said feeding member at said common portion with the same speed as that of said working station means,

means for feeding flat wrapping sheets to said driver means, and

means for releasing said flat wrapping sheets from said driver means to said working station means when said driver means and one of said working station means are adjacent each other and travelling synchronously with the same speed at said common curved portion.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a chain operated by a chain wheel.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a tooth-belt.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a metallic perforated band.

5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said synchronizing means comprises an annular collar jointly driven with speed of rotation of said working station means and following and disposed adjacent to the path of rotation of said working station means and said feeding member and said annular collar including cooperative means for driving said feeding member by said annular collar at said common curved portion with the same speed.

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said feeding member and said collar constitute cooperative members, and

said cooperative means include teeth-like means disposed on one of said cooperation members, as well as recesses complementary to said teeth-like means disposed on the other of said cooperative members.

7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said working station means rotate along a circular path with constant speed.

8. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said driver means comprises clamping tongues spring-biased into a position clamping said flat wrapping sheets and a cam follower operatively connected to at least one of said clamping tongues for opening said tongues, and

immovable bent control rail means disposed in the path of movement of said cam follower for opening said tongues for receiving and releasing said flat wrapping sheets, respectively.

9. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a station for receiving and releasing said flat wrapping sheets,

said endless feeding member extends in a straight path at a portion which is in a linear range adjacent said station for receiving and releasing, and

means for linearly feeding said flat wrapping sheets to said station for receiving and releasing, and for transferring said sheets from said station, respectively, next to said linear path of said feeding member to said driver means thereon.

10. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, which includes as said means for linearly feeding,

transportation means,

a sheet feeding means disposed adjacent said linear path of said feeding member,

said sheet feeding means including a storage holder and means for releasing said wrapping sheets removed from said storage holder, in a direction parallel to said linear path of said feeding member and to said transportation means, and

said transportation means for separating said wrapping sheets and feeding the same with increased speed to said driver means.

11. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said driver means comprises multiple pairs of clamping tongues for receiving multiple wrapping material sheets.

12. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein 7 8 said annular driver collar constitutes a cylindrical said two deviation rollers cooperatively disposed section coaxially disposed relative to the path of C os o Said driver Col than a tangent line rotation of said working station means, thereto, whereby said flexible feeding member at least two deviation rollers, therebetween is pressed against said driver collar said flexible feeding member is positioned outside to constltut? saldlcomfnon curved P 0f equa] said driver collar and disposed about Said at least curvature with said driver collar thereagamst. two deviation rollers, 

1. An apparatus, for a packing machine for feeding flat wrapping sheets to objects to be wrapped on working stations which rotate along a curved path, comprising a plurality of working station means for carrying and wrapping objects to be wrapped and being disposed rotating along a curved path and following each other at predetermined distances and control means therefor, an endless flexible and inexpansible feeding member, at least one driver means disposed on said feeding member, a synchronizing means jointly driven with the rotating speed of said working station means and disposed adjacent said curved path of rotation of said working station means, said feeding member curved against said synchronizing means at a common curved portion and having the same radius of curvature thereat, and for jointly driving synchronously said feeding member at said common portion with the same speed as that of said working station means, means for feeding flat wrapping sheets to said driver means, and means for releasing said flat wrapping sheets from said driver means to said working station means when said driver means and one of said working station means are adjacent each other and travelling synchronously with the same speed at said common curved portion.
 2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a chain operated by a chain wheel.
 3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a tooth-belt.
 4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said endless feeding member comprises a metallic perforated band.
 5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said synchronizing means comprises an annular collar jointly driven with speed of rotation of said working station means and following and disposed adjacent to the path of rotation of said working station means and said feeding member and said annular collar including cooperative means for driving said feeding member by said annular collar at said common curved portion with the same speed.
 6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said feeding member and said collar constitute cooperative members, and said cooperative means include teeth-like means disposed on one of said cooperation members, as well as recesses complementary to said teeth-like means disposed on the other of said cooperative members.
 7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said working station means rotate along a circular path with constant speed.
 8. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said driver means comprises clamping tongues spring-biased into a position clamping said flat wrapping sheets and a cam follower operatively connected to at least one of said clamping tongues for opening said tongues, and immovable bent control rail means disposed in the path of movement of said cam follower for opening said tongues for receiving and releasing said flat wrapping sheets, respectively.
 9. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a station for receiving and releasing said flat wrapping sheets, said endless feeding member extends in a straight path at a portion which is in a linear range adjacent said station for receiving and releasing, and means for lInearly feeding said flat wrapping sheets to said station for receiving and releasing, and for transferring said sheets from said station, respectively, next to said linear path of said feeding member to said driver means thereon.
 10. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, which includes as said means for linearly feeding, transportation means, a sheet feeding means disposed adjacent said linear path of said feeding member, said sheet feeding means including a storage holder and means for releasing said wrapping sheets removed from said storage holder, in a direction parallel to said linear path of said feeding member and to said transportation means, and said transportation means for separating said wrapping sheets and feeding the same with increased speed to said driver means.
 11. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said driver means comprises multiple pairs of clamping tongues for receiving multiple wrapping material sheets.
 12. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said annular driver collar constitutes a cylindrical section coaxially disposed relative to the path of rotation of said working station means, at least two deviation rollers, said flexible feeding member is positioned outside said driver collar and disposed about said at least two deviation rollers, said two deviation rollers cooperatively disposed closer to said driver collar than a tangent line thereto, whereby said flexible feeding member therebetween is pressed against said driver collar to constitute said common curved portion of equal curvature with said driver collar thereagainst. 